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> Mon., June. 12, 2006
FSRN
FREE SPEECH RADIO NEWS
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Today's lead stories:
Residents in Ramadi Brace for US Military Attack
Calls for Investigations in Guantánamo Bay Suicides
Mumia Abu Jamal Comments: The Guantánamo Bay Suicides
Palestine Struggles to Maintain National Unity
South Korean Farmers Weigh In on FTA Talks
New York City Mayor Seeks to Cut Funding for LGBT Teen Shelter
Funds
FSRN Headlines
NSA TRIAL OPENS IN DETROIT
The American Civil Liberties Union's lawsuit against the National
Security Agency's warrantless wiretapping program went to
court today in Detroit. The White House has asked U.S. District
Judge Anna Diggs Taylor to dismiss the case, citing national
security concerns. The lawsuit filed on behalf of journalists,
academics, and non-profit organizations argues that wiretapping
of telephone and email communications without a court order
violates the constitutionally-protected rights to privacy
and free speech. The Bush administration defends the program,
saying that it is legal under broad new powers granted to
the president by Congress after September 11th. A similar
lawsuit, filed by the Center for Constitutional Rights in
New York, has not yet gone to court.
SUPREME COURT TO REVIEW LETHAL INJECTION
In other legal news, the Supreme Court has ruled in favor
of a death row inmate in Florida who wants to challenge execution
by lethal injection as a cruel and unusual punishment. From
WMNF in Tampa, Andrew Stelzer has more.
The ruling in favor of Clarence Hill allows a court challenge
to move forward against lethal injection, the method of execution
being used in 38 of the 39 states which employ the death penalty.
Hill, who was convicted of killing a police officer in 1982,
was minutes away from execution in January, when the Supreme
Court decided to take up his case petition for the right to
proceed in lower court. Hill's attorneys had been arguing
that the three chemicals used for lethal injection cause pain,
thus violate the 8th amendment against cruel and unusual punishment,
but a Florida appeals court was refusing to hear the case.
Now that case will be heard. Mark Elliot is the spokesperson
for Floridians for alternatives to the death penalty and the
state death penalty abolition coordinator for Amnesty International.
(sound) "What this means is there will be no more executions
in Florida throughout 2006...and the more time that we have
in Florida to look at the death penalty with this ongoing
death machine, killing captive prisoners, the more likely
we are to see the truth behind this." Over the past few
months, several states had already put all executions on hold
and many more may choose to do so rather than have numerous
challenges tied up in court. There are 3,300 inmates currently
on death row. Any one of them is now free to claim their pending
execution violates civil rights law. For FSRN, I'm Andrew
Stelzer.
NEW STRAIN OF MAD COW DISCOVERED
Scientists have found a new strain of Mad Cow disease in cattle
in Texas and Alabama. Mad Cow disease, or Bovine spongiform
encephalopathy, is thought to be transmitted when cattle eat
the tissue of infected cows - as cattle remains are sometimes
added to animal feed. However, scientists are unable to explain
the path of infection for the new atypical strain and some
suspect that the new strain may be contagious from animal-to-animal.
DEADLY ATTACKS IN KASHMIR
In Indian-administered Kashmir, at least 10 people have been
killed and many others injured in a spate of attacks today.
Shahnawaz Khan has the details.
Unidentified gunmen killed eight non-Kashmiri laborers today
in Badru village in Anantang Kashmir. Police said Guerrillas
first abducted a group of laborers hailing from the Indian
state of Bihar and later fired indiscriminately at them killing
6 on the spot and injuring 7. Two more succumbed to injuries
in the hospital. The Press Trust of India news agency added
there were unconfirmed reports that the laborers were killed
in exchange of fire between security forces and militants.
Earlier today, one person was killed and twenty injured in
Kashmir's winter capital, Jammu, when suspected guerrillas
threw 3 grenades near a bus terminal this morning. In a separate
incident, a boy was killed when police opened fire to disperse
a mob protesting the alleged desecration of a mosque in Kupwara
in North Kashmir. Scores of people were also injured in this
incident. For FSRN, I'm Shahnawaz Khan.
SUDAN TO COOPERATE WITH ICC WARRANTS
The Sudanese Government has agreed to collaborate with the
International Criminal Court to arrest the LRA rebel leader
Joseph Kony operating in northern Uganda. Joshua Kyalimpa
reports.
Talks between the rebel delegation and Ugandan government
officials were expected to start this week in the southern
Sudan town of Juba, but in a statement yesterday, the UN court's
chief Prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, said Sudan has voluntarily
agreed to execute the warrants issued by the International
Criminal Court. Ocampo has dismissed attempts to negotiate
a political deal, saying Kony was simply trying to "buy
time" like he had done in the past. Kony is wanted by
the Hague-based court along with Raska Lukwiya, Vincent Otti,
Okot Odhiambo and Dominic Ongwen to answer to charges of crimes
against humanity. The LRA, listed as a terrorist organization
by the US, has spread terror in northern Uganda and Southern
Sudan for almost 20 years, mostly targeting civilians and
forcefully abducting thousands of children for sex slavery
and recruitment into the rebel outfit. Joshua Kyalimpa, FSRN,
Kampala.
[top]
Residents in Ramadi Brace for US Military Attack
(3:33)
The US military cordoned off the Western Iraqi City of Ramadi
over the weekend in preparation for an all-out military assault.
400,000 people live in Ramadi and as FSRN's Aaron Glantz and
Salam Talib report, thousand of civilians remained trapped
inside without food, water, or electricity.
[top]
Calls for Investigations in Guantánamo Bay
Suicides (4:09)
Human rights groups and attorneys representing detainees
at Guantánamo Bay are calling for an independent investigation
into the suicides of three inmates over the weekend. Attorneys
say suicide attempts at Guantánamo are common. Meanwhile,
the Bush Administration continues to dismiss the suicides
as politically motivated. FSRN's Leigh Ann Caldwell reports.
[top]
Mumia Abu Jamal Comments: The Guantánamo Bay
Suicides (3:20)
[top]
Palestine Struggles to Maintain National Unity
(2:23)
This weekend marked continued Israeli shelling into Gaza,
in which 11 Palestinians were killed on Friday, one Saturday
and three apparent resistance fighters were assassinated by
an Israeli missile on Sunday. As Saed Bannoura reports, various
Palestinian factions are struggling to negotiate a plan that
will ensure the country’s national unity.
[top]
South Korean Farmers Weigh In on FTA Talks (2:30)
The United States and South Korea have started their first
round of talks toward a bilateral free trade agreement, amid
a mix of cheers from some business groups and protests from
farmers and labor groups in both nations. DS Radio Coop’s
Ryme Katkhouda has more.
[top]
New York City Mayor Seeks to Cut Funding for LGBT
Teen Shelter Funds (4:40)
According to New York City’s Youth Services Committee
head, Lew Fidler, the number of homeless teens in the city
hovers at around 7,000. Yet there only about 300 shelter beds
to serve them; and despite the fact that almost half of all
homeless youth identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender,
there are less than 50 beds available in LGBT friendly shelters.
Last year, New York City allocated $1.2 million to address
the problem, and the funds were divided equally among three
small LGBT-friendly centers that provide temporary housing
and comprehensive services. This year, the mayor's proposed
budget has removed this funding. FSRN’s Leanne Stahnke
reports from the Big Apple, where Councilperson Fidler and
others at City Hall are fighting to have the money restored.
[top]
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